£50,891

1,701

Breaking news re: MH17

It's important to note these investigations were done by a variety of people, showing the importance of making open source investigation tools and techniques available to anyone," Higgins wrote. This is what Bellingcat is about.

On his new Bellingcat blog, Higgins writes that there is a growing consensus that the plane was hit by shrapnel on the front port side, not the rear of the aircraft as some have claimed. But Higgins believes the Ukrainians have sown confusion through their use of pictures of a Buk missile launcher which they claim was used by separatists.

Launch day press

Note about Paypal

Many of you have asked to donate via Paypal as your Amazon Payments is not working. Feel free to use Paypal and submit your donation to brownmoses@gmail.com.com. We will then transfer your funds to Kickstarter on our end.

What is Bellingcat?

Bellingcat will bring together both critically acclaimed and emerging citizen investigative journalists using open source information to investigate, collaborate, and report on worldwide issues that are being underreported and ignored.

Open source information, which is information freely available to anyone through the Internet—think YouTube, Google Maps, Reddit—has made it possible for ANYONE to gather information and source others, through social media networks. Think the Syrian Civil War. Think the Arab Spring.

1. It will unite a group of citizen investigative journalists who through using open source information have transformed journalism and solidified themselves as experts in their fields.

2. It will be a place that will attract others to learn how to use open source tools, techniques, and processes. Bellingcat will include how-to guides, case studies, articles, and other media, which will aid others in becoming citizen investigative journalists on their own.

The practice of journalism is continuing to expand and broaden. We don’t need to exclusively rely on traditional news media to do the digging and reporting for us. We—you—can do it on our own.

Below is some content already available on Bellingcat, with much more to come.

If you donate £5, you will get access to content like this.

Case studies and guides

Evidence of a New Chemical Attack in Syria: Detailing the evidence of the latest chemical reported in the town of Kafr Zita, Syria.

Geolocating the Missile Launcher Linked to the Downing of MH17: A case study looking at the process of finding the exact position a video showing the missile launcher linked to the downing of MH17 was filmed.

August 21st – The Rebels Did It!: A look at some of the many theories that the Syrian opposition was responsible for the August 21st Sarin attacks.

Brown Moses – Peter Jukes: Eliot Higgins talks to Peter Jukes about his coverage of the UK phone hacking trials, and what's next for the phone hacking scandal.

If you find these case studies and guides useful please share your thoughts on them with your friends, colleagues, and Twitter followers. And to access them on Bellingcat, again, it's only £5.

About Brown Moses

Brown Moses, the founder of Bellingcat, is the pseudonym for Eliot Higgins, a laid-off government worker turned blogger turned weapons analysis expert and leading source of information on the conflict in Syria.

Higgins began his Brown Moses blog in March 2012, devoting himself to studying everything he could find online about the Syrian conflict. Unable to understand or speak Arabic, he focused on something purely visual: weapons.

Weapon identification on the Brown Moses Blog

Two years later, he is celebrated as an expert on the weapons used in the Syrian conflict and for being the first to break numerous stories on the Syrian conflict, all while never having set foot in a warzone.

Mainstream news organisations have fully developed staff and resources; yet Eliot, alone in his home on his computer, found ways to break news many of them could not.

We need your help

We believe so strongly in the power of open source that we’ve chosen to raise funds through crowdfunding.

There is urgency behind this mission. Crowdfunding allows us to move forward quickly and without financial blessing or permission from any higher institutions.

Bellingcat is currently in development and being beta tested (get exclusive access to the beta with the £5 reward). Our £47,000 goal will help finish website development, run it for six months, and cover administrative fees. (A reminder that Kickstarter funding is all or nothing. If we raise £46,999, we get nothing.)

Later, we have plans to partner with major news and technology organisations for additional support. If we exceed the target then the additional funds will go towards keeping the website running for longer, hiring members of staff, and supporting projects that contributors may start developing.

The success of this open source endeavor relies on YOU. Your involvement will help us start something necessary, special, and important.

Bellingcat t-shirt.

Bellingcat sticker.

Our team

Confirmed contributors:

Peter Jukes: Writer behind “Beyond Contempt - The Inside Story of the Phone Hacking Trial,” about the UK phone hacking scandal he famously live tweeted.

Jonathan Krohn: Writer for The Guardian, The Atlantic Monthly, etc. NYT called him a wunderkind; at 14 he was a finalist for Time’s 100.

Risks and challenges

The biggest challenge will be making this website entirely comprehensive, even while being reliant on Eliot alone. Bellingcat wants to take advantage of every opportunity and new tool that comes along and doing that could be difficult as a one man operation. That's why one of our stretch goals would be expanding the team and hiring at least one staff member.

Support

Select this reward

Pledge £5 or more
About $7

EXCLUSIVE BETA ACCESS: Within 24 hours, we will give you exclusive access to the beta version of bellingcat.com. We will also add your name to a list of supporters worldwide who helped make this happen in a special section of the website. We’re a team and you’re a part of it.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge £50 or more
About $67

INVESTIGATIVE STARTER KIT: Want to know how others have used open source tools to break news stories? We’ll send you an hour long video on open source information, verification techniques (and much more), in addition to the £15 reward. Plus two extensive podcasts where Eliot will talk at length about 1) the start of the Brown Moses Blog to Bellingcat and 2) a discussion about open source information with a variety of Bellingcat contributors. AND exclusive access to the beta version of the website.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge £250 or more
About $334

SKYPE 1-ON-1 WITH ELIOT: Have some questions specific to your own experience? Eliot is only one Skype call away and more than happy to talk to you, answer questions, and offer advice. Plus all the above.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge £250 or more
About $334

SKYPE 1-ON-1 WITH PETER JUKES: Sourcing others and helping each other is what Bellingcat is all about. Skype with Peter Jukes, the man behind live tweeting the UK phone hacking scandal. Plus all the above (except the other £250 reward).

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge £1,000 or more
About $1,337

BROWN MOSES PRESENTS (Local to UK): In the past two years Eliot has spoken at numerous events and been interviewed by countless top publications. Now it’s your turn to hear from him. For your contribution, Eliot will deliver a keynote presentation about open source, his work, activism, and issues important to you specifically. (Transportation and accomodation costs not included.)

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge £1,000 or more
About $1,337

PEN TO PAPER BY MOLLY CRABAPPLE: Receive a one of a kind 5.5 x 8 ink hand-drawn piece of art by Molly Crabapple capturing the classic fable behind Bellingcat. Called "An emblem of the way art can break out of the gilded gallery" by the New Republic, Molly has drawn in Guantanamo Bay, Abu Dhabi's migrant labor camps, and with rebels in Syria. Please visit her website for samples of her artistic style: www.mollycrabapple.com

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge £1,500 or more
About $2,005

BROWN MOSES PRESENTS (Anywhere in Europe): In the past two years Eliot has spoken at numerous events and been interviewed by countless top publications. Now it’s your turn to hear from him. For your contribution, Eliot will deliver a keynote presentation about open source, his work, activism, and issues important to you specifically. (Transportation and accomodation costs not included.)

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge £2,500 or more
About $3,342

BROWN MOSES PRESENTS (Rest of the World): In the past two years Eliot has spoken at numerous events and been interviewed by countless top publications. Now it’s your turn to hear from him. For your contribution, Eliot will deliver a keynote presentation about open source, his work, activism, and issues important to you specifically. (Transportation and accomodation costs not included.)

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge £5,000 or more
About $6,684

BELLINGCAT BRAND SPONSOR: If you or your like-minded institution believe in this project and its mission we’d love for you to join us as a sponsor. For a month we will feature your brand under the contributor profile on each post, on every email alert, and daily Tweet.